Jakarta – More than 200 Indonesian protestors picketed an empty parliament building here for the second consecutive day yesterday to demand that the government scrap a planned rise in fuel prices.

"A mere postponement means nothing. The people will continue to suffer," one demonstrator yelled at a free speech forum set up at the main entrance to the parliamentary complex.

The protestors came from at least two groups, the National Student League for Democracy and the Workers' Committee for Reform Actions.

The same groups also picketed parliament on Saturday. Both demonstrations were peaceful. The government of President Abdurrahman Wahid on Friday decided to postpone the fuel price hike, to average around 12 per cent, that had been scheduled to take effect on Saturday.